Name of Product: Plush Baby Rattles and Photo Frame Ornaments

Units: About 460,000

Manufacturer: Target, of Minneapolis, Minn.

Hazard: Small parts on the plush rattles and frame ornaments can break or detach, posing a choking hazard to young children. Additionally, the rattles’ plastic ring can break and expose sharp points.

Incidents/Injuries: Target has received 11 reports of the pompoms, eyes, nose and bows detaching from rattles and frame ornaments, including one report of a baby mouthing a detached part. No injuries have been reported.

(more…)

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that Hoover Company Inc., of North Canton, Ohio, has agreed to pay a $750,000 civil penalty. The penalty, which the Commission has provisionally accepted, settles allegations that the company failed to report to CPSC the sale of vacuum cleaners with defective on-off switches that can overheat and cause the vacuum cleaner to catch fire.

In April 2005, Hoover conducted a recall of 636,000 Hoover Self-Propelled Upright Vacuum Cleaners because of defective on-off switches.

(more…)

Name of Product: Kawasaki 2007 model year KFX®50 and KFX®90 ATVs

Units: About 9,000

Distributor: Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. of Irvine, Calif.

Hazard: On some of these units, the handlebar holder, tie-rod adjustment, and tie-rod end nuts may not have been tightened to the proper torque. Operation of the vehicle can cause the nuts to loosen, resulting in a loss of steering control. This poses a crash hazard, which can result in injury or death.

Incidents/Injuries: Kawasaki has received 10 reports of nuts loosening on the handlebar holder, tie-rod adjustment or tie-rod end nut. One of these incidents resulted in a consumer losing steering control during ATV operation and receiving a minor injury.

(more…)

Name of Product: Cannondale 2007 Model Road Bicycles

Units: About 700

Manufacturer: Cannondale Bicycle Corp., of Bethel, Conn.

Hazard: The bicycle’s front brake can fail, causing the rider to lose control and fall.

Incidents/Injuries: No injuries have been reported.

(more…)

Name of Product: Oscillating Ceramic Heaters

Units: About 35,000 (17,000 with consumers)

Importer: Family Dollar Stores, of Charlotte, N.C.

Hazard: The heaters can overheat and smoke, which could pose a fire hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: Family Dollar has received three reports of the heaters overheating or smoking. There are no reports of fires and two reports of minor property damage.

(more…)

A nationwide debt consolidation business violated federal law by misleading and illegally telemarketing millions of consumers, according to the Federal Trade Commission, which is seeking consumer redress in federal district court, a freeze of the operation’s assets, and an end to its illegal practices.

According to the FTC’s complaint, a scheme that bills itself as “America’s Premier Debt Consolidation Company” is violating the FTC Act and the FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR), led by a Florida attorney who is using a sham nonprofit company to violate telemarketing rules that exempt legitimate nonprofit entities.

(more…)

A payment processor violated federal law when it debited, or tried to debit, more than $9.9 million from consumers’ bank accounts – at $139 each – without their approval, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

According to a complaint the FTC filed in federal court, Nevada-based InterBill Ltd. acted on behalf of a fraudulent enterprise known as “Pharmacycards.com.” In 2004 the FTC charged Pharmacycards with debiting millions of dollars from consumers’ checking accounts, without their consent, for nonexistent “discount pharmacy cards.”

(more…)

This Travel Warning is being issued to remind American citizens of ongoing security concerns in Haiti, including frequent kidnappings of Americans for ransom.  Travelers are strongly advised to thoroughly consider the risks before travel to Haiti, and to take adequate precautions to ensure their safety if they do so.  This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning issued July 7, 2006, and expires July 9, 2007.

(more…)

This Travel Warning updates information concerning the security situation in Indonesia and reminds Americans of the risks associated with travel to that country.  This Travel Warning supersedes the November 18, 2005, Travel Warning for Indonesia.

Due to the possibility of terrorist attacks directed against American or other Western citizens and interests, the Department of State urges American citizens to evaluate carefully the risks of travel to Indonesia.  The October 1, 2005, terrorist attacks in Bali in which suicide bombers killed 20 people and injured more three than 100 are a reminder that terrorists remain active in Indonesia.  The possibility of future attacks in Bali, Jakarta, or other areas of Indonesia cannot be ruled out.

(more…)

This Public Announcement is being issued to alert American citizens that the Caretaker Government declared a State of Emergency in Bangladesh.  An initial curfew has been lifted, but a new curfew could be reinstated at any time.  The Department of State is concerned about the fluid security situation in Bangladesh and strongly urges U.S. citizens to avoid travel to the country.   This Public Announcement supersedes the Public Announcement for Bangladesh dated November 8, 2006, and expires on April 12, 2007.

(more…)